Description
Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers are a delicious and elegant main course featuring tender bell peppers filled with a savory mixture of fresh crab meat, chopped shrimp, creamy cheeses, and aromatic seasonings. Baked to perfection, this dish offers a satisfying blend of seafood flavors and cheesy richness in every bite, making it a perfect pescatarian dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 4 large bell peppers (any color)
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Seafood
- 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 1/2 pound lump crab meat, drained and picked over
Dairy
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Peppers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off the bell peppers and carefully remove the seeds and membranes to create hollow vessels. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish, ready to be stuffed.
- Sauté Aromatics and Shrimp: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn pink and are just cooked through. Remove from heat.
- Mix Stuffing Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooked shrimp mixture with lump crab meat, cooked rice, mayonnaise, softened cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, and black pepper. Gently stir everything together until well combined.
- Stuff the Peppers: Spoon the seafood and cheese mixture evenly into each bell pepper, filling them generously. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the baking dish to keep the filling inside during baking.
- Bake Covered: Loosely cover the baking dish with foil to prevent excessive browning and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. This allows the peppers to soften and the stuffing to heat through.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking the stuffed peppers for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the peppers are tender.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve warm and enjoy your flavorful crab and shrimp stuffed bell peppers.
Notes
- You can substitute cooked shrimp for raw shrimp by simply mixing them with the crab meat without sautéing.
- For a low-carb version, replace cooked rice with cauliflower rice.
- Feel free to use any color bell peppers according to your preference for visual appeal and sweetness.
- This dish pairs well with a light green salad or steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 710mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
